Attributes (e.g., metadata) associated with a file system can be used to provide information about how data stored in the file system is managed and utilized. For example, a user (e.g., an administrator that manages a storage system or a storage system user) may access various attributes, such as file locations and file access time, to make decisions as to where data is to be optimally stored. In another example, a user may need access to attributes, such as file and directory sizes, to manage storage resources in a storage system.
If the attributes are searchable, the attributes are typically stored in a relational database. This relational database stores all the attributes as being derived from a flat, unrelated space. Where a large number of attributes is stored (e.g., from millions of datasets to billions of datasets), access to these attributes is inefficient and slow because every single record within the relational database must be searched. The slow access times may lead to the under utilization of the storage system because attribute information is not readily accessible to users. Such under utilization can negatively affect the cost, management, performance, and reliability of the storage system because the users do not have a strong understanding of the state and activity of the storage system.